Laying Blame
by XXAlmostInsaneXX
Summary: Peter looses it on Neal when he finds out that Keller kidnapped his wife. Can the relationship between our favorite con man and fed survive this most recent catastrophe?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Spoilers:** Countdown (S03E10)**  
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**Warning: **After watching Countdown, I felt the need to hit something. Or someone...**  
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><p><strong>Laying Blame.<strong>

His mind was reeling. Everywhere there was chaos. A million agents were scattered all over the living room. He was aware that they were trying to talk to him but his mind refused to comprehend what they were saying. It was just noise. A lot of noise. Scanning the kitchen he could make out the fallen chair and the up turned pot of spaghetti. She must've had tried to fight, and they must've had hit her on the head to subdue her…

"Peter." He was snapped out of his numb state by that voice. Peter turned around to find Neal Caffrey staring at him. His blue eyes were wide open with surprise, his hair unkempt, cheeks flushed, and sorrow and guilt were etched on his youthful face. His mind took in the details of Caffrey's haggard appearance, but his eyes were only seeing red. How dare he? After all the trouble he had caused, how dare he stand in front of him; look him in the eye; talk to him?

"He took my wife" Peter said through clenched teeth. _You took my wife._

"Peter, I'm sorry." Neal said, walking up to his friend and laying a hand on his shoulder. In one fluid motion Peter jerked the hand away and shot out his own fist, hitting the unsuspecting con man square in the jaw. Neal staggered back, as much from surprise as from the impact of the blow. He blinked through the tears of pain and stared at the man in front of him, shocked. But Peter wasn't done yet.

"Stop lying you bastard!" He grabbed Caffrey by the collar and shoved him away with all his strength, watching him fly across the kitchen and hit the wall with a thud with a grim satisfaction.

"Don't." He warned two agents away who looked like as if they were about to interfere. Peter walked over to where Neal had slumped, on the floor. He grabbed a handful of the con man's curls and jerked Neal up into a sitting position. "Now you listen to me." He growled softly, bending down to look him right in the big blue eyes, the eyes that had conned him into trusting a thief.

"You made this mess happen and you clear it up. If anything happens to my wife…" He broke off, unable to continue, but his grip on Neal tightened.

"Peter…" Neal choked out, his hands struggling weakly to get Peter's off his collar. Peter let go suddenly and stood, turning away as the con man slumped back to the floor.

He started to walk away but stopped when he felt a hand grip his leg.

"Peter…" Neal's voice broke but his grip tightened. Peter turned around to see him getting on his feet again.

"Neal, just don't talk OK? I don't want to hear it." Peter cut him off as soon as he opened his mouth to speak.

"No!" Neal suddenly snapped at him, shoving him back lightly. Peter looked at the man in surprise, his previous anger coming back with a vengeance. But Neal didn't back down. "No Peter! You can hit me, hate me, call me whatever you like, I deserve all that. But you have to listen to me!" Neal looked at him, blue eyes shining with tears, begging him.

"Why should I listen to you, Caffrey? So you can feed me more lies?" Peter yelled, not in the mood to take pity on the man right now. "Well, let me inform you that I don't care for you or your bloody lies!"

"I don't want to lie to you Peter!" Neal shot back at him, tears running down his cheeks his nose bleeding from the punch. "Just hear me out."

"OK what do you have to say for yourself?" Peter relented, the sight of the young man crying thawing out his anger a bit. "And don't tell me you are sorry, no more lies."

"I AM sorry Peter. I never meant for this to happen. I am sorry it did, Peter." Neal gazed up at the man who had given him a second chance at life, who had made him feel like as if he belonged; and hoped that he could understand the sincerity of his words.

"Neal, you want my forgiveness you can help get my wife back." Peter snapped at him. "Now cut the crap and tell me where the treasure is."

"I don't know where it is Peter…" Neal started but was cut off.

"Bullshit!" Peter lashed out banging his fist on the wall. "Neal I'll strangle you with my bare hands…"

"I don't know where the treasure is", Neal raised his voice, "but Mozzie does."

"Then call him and tell him to give it to you." Peter pulled out his phone and held it to Neal, having a hard time keeping his anger in check.

"He's gone Peter."

Peter's head jerked up at those words. Mozzie had run? With the treasure? And Neal hadn't?

"Dammit!" Peter swore. "I don't care how you do it but you have to get Mozzie to give you the treasure." Peter growled at his CI. "Keller's ransom is the treasure Neal. If we don't give it to him…" he trailed off, voice breaking and eyes filling up with tears.

"I'll get you the treasure in three hours, Peter." Neal vowed, reaching out to comfort his friend. "Mozzie will give it up when he finds out that Keller took El. I promise Peter, just three hours."

"No, no more promises, no more empty words." Peter said, rubbing his eyes. He wanted to believe Neal, he really did. But experience had taught him that whenever he did, Neal conned him. "Just get it done." He gave a weary sigh and walked out of the kitchen.

Neal looked at the phone in his hands and rubbed his jaw. It felt like as if it was broken; Peter sure did have a good arm.

"Sir?" Neal looked up to see a paramedic standing at the door. "Agent Burke said you were hurt and needed help?"

Neal smiled sadly. Despite all the times that he said otherwise, Peter did care after all…

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><p>Author's Note: Yea so this was my frustration expressed in words... God why did they have to leave us with a cliff hanger that mean? :'(<p>

REVIEW and you'll make me feel better... ;)

To Sara- A Neal gal: I'm soo sorry I made your heart ache! I don't know why I beat Neal up, I also am a huge Neal fan...Guess I was just feeling pretty low. I could write a comfort fic for you if it would make you feel better? :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **SO many of you wanted a continuation, so I decided to take the story further. There will be more coming up soon but for now...

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><p>Neal flinched as he tried to get up. His whole body protested from being thrown around the room like a sack of potatoes, and his legs almost gave way when he tried to put his weight on them. He didn't blame Peter for reacting the way he did. Hell, if he would have been in Peter's place he would have hit himself as well. Probably a lot more than Peter had done. It wasn't the physical pain which had Neal blinking through tears again. It was the memory of what Peter had said; he had called him a liar, brushed off his apologies as empty words… that was what really hurt. Still it was El that had been taken; he had expected Peter to be furious. After all even Fowler had gotten socked in the jaw, and he had only messed up El's business. Neal had gotten her kidnapped. But as he finally got to his feet and flipped open the phone dialing Bob's number from memory, he couldn't help but regret the fact that Peter will never trust him again.<p>

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality." Mozzie's voice sounded far away.

"Martin Luther King. This isn't about me, Moz. Keller took El."

The little guy's breath hitched on the phone. "And he wants the treasure? I should have seen this coming!"

"Yes Moz, we should've…" Neal closed his eyes in frustration. "I can't let him hurt her, you have to get it back, Moz, I'm sorry."

"A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused," Moz went quite for a minute. "I'm the one who should be sorry Neal. I forced you and now Mrs. Suit into this."

"It's fine Mozzie. Just help me get El back and it'll be fine." Neal was too spent to be angry at his friend. Damn right he should be sorry, Neal had never asked for any of this to happen. He was the one who had stolen the treasure, the one who wanted to run away...

"The Suit…" Mozzie seemed unsure.

"Don't worry about Peter. If he wants to put someone behind bars, it'll be me." Neal cut in "Come at my place with the treasure in an hour. I'll be waiting." He ended the call before Mozzie could protest at the haste or say anything else, knowing that the paranoid man would never call back on an unknown number.

Neal walked tiredly into the living room. Peter was pacing back and forth, his phone to his ear. "Right, find out how many vehicles match that description and where each one has been for the last three hours." He caught sight of Neal standing at the doorway and clicked the phone shut. By now all the agents had left the house to follow out the million commands Peter had given them.

Peter looked at him quietly for a minute. He could see that Neal was in bad shape. His nose was still bleeding slowly and his lip was split. He seemed to favor one foot over the other and stood with the support of the door, unconsciously rubbing the side on which he must have fallen. For a minute Peter was racked with guilt on the way he had hit and abused the young man, he shouldn't have hit him that hurt; but then Keller's voice came back to him: "I've seen the treasure; your boy Caffrey has it."

"Mozzie is bringing the treasure Peter; I'll have it in an hour." Neal said his voice weary and tired. The con man pushed away from where he was leaning against the door and started walking into the living room, only to have his legs give out under him. Peter was beside the young man, helping him up with an arm on his back and a firm grip on his shoulder, in an instant. He helped the man cross the room so he can slump on the couch.

Peter stood quietly for a minute looking at Neal, who had his eyes closed and his head thrown back. This man had lied to him, kept secrets from him and betrayed his trust, then why was Peter feeling guilty for lashing out at him? In the end, the furious husband lost the battle to the concerned father. Peter knelt in front of Neal and touched his brow,frowning at the warmth. Neal's eyes shot open at the contact and it broke something inside Peter when Neal flinched to find Peter so close and half raised a hand to defend himself, before realizing that Peter wasn't hitting him. Neal closed his eyes and leaned back again.

Peter stood from the floor and sat on the couch beside Neal, not knowing what to say. He wanted to apologize for hitting Neal earlier, but he still felt angry at him for not telling him about the treasure straight away and lying to him for all these months. "Neal, I…" He started softly, only to have the young man cut him off.

"Peter please don't say…." Neal's voice trailed off and he looked down at his hands. "I deserved this Peter. This and more!" Peter looked at the young man, surprised at the raw grief in his voice. But Neal looked away and ran a hand through his black curls. "I'll help you get El back, Peter. Then you can arrest me and go on with your life."

Whatever anger Peter had still felt towards the ex- con vanished at these words. He really was sorry that things had turned out this way; else he would never have told Peter to arrest him.

"C'mon let's go to June's. I told Mozzie to meet me there in an hour." Neal stood up before Peter could say anything else. Peter watched him walk slowly to the door before getting up and silently following him to the car.

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><p>So what do you think? Review! Your encouraging words make me write faster.:P<p>

I'll have more up by morning... :)


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Peter reached the car, Neal was already seated, with the belt on for once, staring straight ahead. As Peter turned the key and the engine purred to life, a phone rang. Peter looked down searching for the source of the shrill noise. He saw the phone Keller had left on his dashboard earlier lying near his feet and bent down to retrieve it. He flipped it open already knowing who was at the other end.

"Keller", he gritted out.

"So Agent Burke, decided to go for a little drive already? Told you to stay at home, didn't I?" Keller seemed to be having the time of his life.

"Tell me where my wife is!" Peter growled, having neither the time or the patience for his bullshit.

"Where's the fun in that?" Keller smirked. "Let's play a game. Follow my lead and I'll take you to your wife. You get the treasure, load it in a truck and get it to Caffrey's place."

"And what about Elizabeth?" Peter asked.

"I'll tell you about her once you get the truck ready." Keller wasn't going to make this easy. "Why ruin the surprise?" the call ended quite abruptly, leaving Peter glaring at the phone.

"What happened?" Neal asked hesitantly, uncomfortable of being in such close proximity of Peter's arm, when he saw the look on his face.

"Keller wants us to get the treasure at June's", Peter said through clenched teeth.

He started driving, his narrowed eyes fixed at the road. His phone rang and he glanced at the monitor, surprised to see that it was identifying the caller as Neal. He glanced sideways at the con man, but he seemed as perplexed as him. "Oh it must be Moz." Neal realized, "I left my phone at June's."

Peter pressed the receiving button and Mozzie's voice sounded on speaker. "Suit, hello. I want to talk to Neal."

"I'm here Moz, you got it?" Neal spoke before Peter could.

"That's what I was about to tell you when you so graciously hung up on me before." Mozzie sounded annoyed. "The treasure is still at the warehouse…"

"Ok, I'll call you back." Neal cut in and pressed the button to end the call. He turned to find Peter glaring daggers at him.

"What? You still don't want to tell me where you hid the treasure?" Peter's previous anger resurfaced when he saw Neal pick up Keller's phone and start twiddling with it. "Neal, I swear…" He trailed off when the con man showed the screen to him. A message was typed on it.

_BUG, Address: Warehouse No: 77850, Ganesvoort ST, Unit A. _

Peter scowled, knowing he had let his distrust for the ex con show again, but remained quiet.

They reached 87 Riverside Drive and Peter parked the car haphazardly. They got out and made their way upstairs after being let in by the house keeper.

"Moz, I need you to get a truck and load all the crates in it." Neal said as soon as he walked into the room.

"Took care of that." Peter said, holding up his phone. "Jones is on the way."

"Suit I am sorry about your wi-", Mozzie said hesitantly only to be cut off by Peter's glare.

"Moz," Neal interrupted, making the cutting motion with his hand.

"Just don't start." Peter said tiredly walking out to the balcony.

"Moz, you should get away from here." Neal said quietly to his friend of eight years. "As soon as this mess is over and Elizabeth's safe, they'll be looking to put someone behind bars. And you know that won't be Keller."

Mozzie looked up at the younger man. This guy always did have balls. "About that, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Maybe I wasn't completely right."

Neal smiled, but shook his head. "No Moz you were. I was living in an illusion, thinking that I could have a chance at a normal life…" He looked away.

"Neal, you could have had that chance, I made you choose…" He looked down at his hands. "I guess I am not much of a friend."

Keller's phone, which Peter had left on the table, rang shrilly, startling the three men. Peter hurried to it and picked it up. "I see your transport is ready." Keller sounded sarcastic even over the phone. Just then Peter's phone beeped. It was a text message from Jones saying that he was standing outside June's with the truck.

"Yes it is." Peter confirmed after reading the message, wary of the fact that Keller was watching their every move.

"Good good, if there's one thing I like about your lot, it's your punctuality." Keller said, smug. "Now listen carefully. You and Neal go down and get in the truck, and start driving. I'll tell you where to go once you do that. But remember no one should be following you or else Neal's gracious landlady June, who is currently visiting her son in Manhattan would receive a visit from a rather unpleasant fellow."

Before Peter could ask anything about Elizabeth, Keller ended the call, leaving him with no choice other than to do as he had said. He pulled out his own phone and started dialing Diana's number, when Neal stopped him. "Peter, don't include the office in this. Keller would find out and El…" Neal didn't know how but he needed to convince Peter not to call for backup or do anything which might put Keller on an edge and make him act impulsively.

"Well then, what do you expect me to do?" Peter sounded more frustrated than angry. "just give in to that bastard's demands without a plan of my own?"

"He'll be expecting you to have a plan Peter." Neal countered. "So the only way to take him by surprise is to not have one. You've got to tru- "he broke off, looking away.

"What? I've got to trust you? Yea because that has worked so well in the past." Peter snapped at him. Neal flinched, the words cutting deep into his heart, and sighed forlornly. Well what had he been expecting, asking the man to trust him after what he had done? A reassuring hug and a pat on his back? He had brought this upon himself, now he'll see it through.

"Let's just go already, before he gets tired of waiting." Peter said, after taking several deep breaths to control his resurfacing anger.

They had been driving for fifteen minutes now with Keller giving them directions on the phone. Jones and Diana hadn't been happy to let Peer go on without a backup plan, but had acquiesced grudgingly. Keller had called as soon as they had gotten in the truck and asked Peter if he had his own phone with him as well. Then the game had started, and after almost 30 minutes of following directions, they had reached a part of downtown New York that Neal didn't recognize.

"You see that motel on your left? Park the car across from it and go inside." Keller ordered over the phone. Peter parked the truck carelessly and both the men jumped down and ran across the road. The motel Keller had directed them to, was a rundown untidy place, with dripping ceilings and geezers loitering in the lobby. Peter and Neal both scanned the lobby frantically, hoping to catch some sight of Elizabeth or Keller, but the phone rang again.

"Keller, enough of your games now. Where's my wife?" Peter spoke before Keller could.

"All in good time, Agent Burke. Now you are going to give the phone to your pet con, and Neal is going to walk back to the truck. I'll call you as soon as Neal gets in the truck on your own phone. Then we'll try to find your wife." Keller had evidently planned the whole thing thoroughly, leaving no loop holes.

Peter looked furious but he handed the phone over to Neal without comment, who cautiously held it to his ear. "Now Neal, get back to the truck fast so I can tell Agent Burke about his wife." Keller instructed him.

Peter watched Neal run out of the lobby and across the street, trying to think of what Keller was playing at, leading them on such a game of cat and mouse. He wondered if he should have let the con man go alone, but then he remembered the GPS device that he had told Jones to equip the truck with earlier in his message. At least wherever Neal goes with the truck, he'll be monitored by a team of agents who can rush in to their help whenever he needed it. Peter's phone beeped, and he accepted the call, holding the phone to his ear.

"Now Agent Burke, I'm going to tell you the same thing which I said before. Go home, have a beer or maybe a wine from the cellar and maybe you'll remember where your wife is." Keller's smirking voice was making it very difficult for Peter to keep his cool.

"Keller!" Peter screamed in frustration but the line was already dead. Dammit! What did he mean, you'll remember where your wife is? Peter's mind reeled as he thought about what Keller had said to him. Was he really brazen enough to do that? Had he really kidnapped El and left her in the basement of their own house?

A thousand questions swam around in his head as he rushed outside and hailed a cab, giving the cab driver the address to his house.

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><p>More is on its way! Review people and you'll make my day. :)<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

As promised here's another chapter :)

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><p>The cab pulled up in front of the house and Peter threw a wad of bills at the driver before rushing in. He did not pause to survey the mess that was his living room, but went straight for the basement hoping that this wasn't another one of Keller's games. Peter had always known that Keller had guts, but he could never have imagined that he would dare to break into a federal agent's house, kidnap his wife, and then leave her in the basement of said house itself.<p>

He threw open the door leading to the basement and hurried down the stairs. If El really was here, then Keller must have hurt her pretty badly so that she won't be able to call for help. Or perhaps she was drugged, or worse…

Shaking his head to clear it of such morbid thoughts he ran his hand on the wall, looking for the light switch. Finding it he flicked it and the basement was lit up by the tiny bulbs that Peter had spent six hours putting up, one summer long ago. There were boxes scattered all over the large area covered by the basement, with the exception of the wall that housed the wine rack. Peter wove in between them looking for any kind of movement in the semi darkness. "El! Where are you?" He called out, straining his ears to hear for a reply. Yet there was none. He broke out in a run, yelling El's name over and over. Reaching the middle of the large room, he bent over trying to catch his breath. He thought he heard a faint scuffling but with the blood pounding in his ears, he couldn't be sure. He held his breath so that he could make out the direction from where it was coming and followed till the corner of the room. He reached a small clearing which wasn't stacked with boxes and there slumped against the wall, was El. Her hands were taped to the pipe over her head and her mouth was gagged. But she was conscious, and was rubbing her legs against the floor. Peter fell on his knees in front of his wife and slowly removed the tape over her mouth and hands. With tears streaking down his cheeks, he gathered her in a tight hug, relief coursing through his body. He ran his fingers in her hair, matted with sweat and blood, and over her body to make sure that she wasn't hurt.

"El, baby talk to me." He cupped her small face in his hands. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"Pet'r?" her voice hoarse from disuse.

"Yes darling, I have you now. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine" He assured her wiping the tears of relief that were falling from her eyes.

She suddenly started squirming in his grasp. "Peter… Neal…"

"Hush baby, Neal went to give the treasure to Keller. A team is monitoring his movements at the office and we'll…" Peter trailed off when his wife shook her head.

"No, Keller… called Neal." She whispered softly. "Told him to… run with truck." Peter couldn't believe it. Keller had called Neal? Why would he do that? Unless…

"Honey, when did he call him? Before or after he took you?" Peter asked his wife gently, not wanting to know the answer to his own question.

"Before... I was in the kitchen cooking when I thought I heard something in the backyard." Elizabeth stopped to catch her breath then continued, "That's when I heard him talking on the phone with someone. He sounded angry, kept saying that he'll handle the Fed. Before he hung up he called the person whom he was talking to Neal, and told him to come to the air strip as soon as he had the truck." El looked up at her husband, tears blurring our vision. "Peter, did Neal…?" she didn't have the energy to continue and simply stared at her husband.

Peter couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. Neal had been planning this all along. Taking El to divert the attention, and then appearing to help him; it had all been a ruse, a long con. He had betrayed him, lied to him, even hurt his wife. Peter's body trembled with rage. How could he do this to him? After all that Peter and El had done… did all the time they spend together mean nothing at all to the con man?

He stood up, cradling his wife in his arms. "Don't worry El; Neal is in for a little surprise. I had Jones load empty crates in the truck." Peter gave a grim smile. "Keller won't be too thrilled when he finds out that Neal ran without the treasure."

He made his way out of the basement and up the stairs to their bedroom, carrying his wife in his arms and laid her softly on the bed. He put a blanket on her, and stepped back when she instantly fell into a tired sleep.

He ran a hand through his hair, mind still seething with anger. He pulled out his phone and dialed Diana's number. "Are you still monitoring Caffrey's GPS data?" he asked as soon as his probie picked up.

"Yes Boss, he has been driving towards the outskirts of New York." Diana replied, sensing the tension in her superior's voice.

"Is there an air strip there, nearby?" Peter asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes, there is, though not for another three miles in the direction in which Neal is going." Diana confirmed his wife's suspicion. Peter closed his eyes and steeled himself.

"OK I want you to reach there as soon as you can with the Marshals." Pushing all his disappointment and grief to the back of his mind, Peter assumed the role of Special Agent Peter Burke, on his way to arrest a fleeing criminal, not to confront a friend. "Send two agents down to my place to guard El. Neal is going to run." He clicked the phone shut, checked to see if his gun was loaded, gave his sleeping wife a quick peck on the cheek and made his way out of the house.

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><p>So what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know through your reviews... I'll have more up in a couple of hours. :)<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

A.N. Sorry for the wait people, and the cliffhanger :P

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><p>Neal had been driving for quite a while following Keller's orders over the phone. The man was becoming more and more unbearable with every passing minute, making snide comments on how well Peter had trained his pet con to take orders and how disappointed Kate would have been to see him in such a helpless and pathetic state. By now he had reached the outskirts of the city and it didn't take long for Neal to realize that Keller was probably directing him towards a private air strip where he can easily load the treasure on a plane and run off. Neal just hoped that Peter had found Elizabeth; he wasn't much worried about himself. The fact that Keller had told Peter to turn back and Neal to go on was enough proof that Keller had no intention of letting him walk away alive. But frankly he couldn't bring himself to care; if it meant that El got out of this unscathed then he would gladly walk to his own death. Or drive to it if you wanted to be specific. It also helped that deep down he knew that happen what may, Peter would find him and try his damned best to save him… he always did.<p>

His assumption proved correct when Keller told him to stop the truck and get out after reaching a large field. There was a small jet being fueled up and several men were working on it, preparing it for takeoff. Neal jumped down from the truck after killing the engine and stood in front of it, scrutinizing each man on the air strip. _Where the hell was that bastard anyway?_

As if on cue, the phone in his hand rang. Neal flipped it open and put it to his ear. "What are you waiting for, an invitation to unload the boxes?" Keller's voice seemed too clear. Neal turned around to see the man walking up to him, his phone pressed to his ear and that smug grin plastered to his face. He was as usual impeccably dressed in a dark grey suit and seemed to walk with the easy grace of a man in control.

"So this is what the great Neal Caffrey been reduced to now?" Keller gloated. "See Neal, you could have had it all. But no! Neal Caffrey is a man of morals; he will not get his hands dirty. That unwillingness cost you everything Neal, first Kate and now the greatest treasure known to mankind."

"You got what you wanted Keller, now just take the treasure and go." Neal wasn't in the mood to rise up to the bait.

"I'm asking you one last time, Caffrey. You could come with me. We'll get away together, just like old times." Neal couldn't believe it, after all the trouble that Keller had caused him; he was still talking to him about joining him? He kept quiet, his silence conveying the contempt and disgust he felt towards the man.

"You see Neal, you're wrong about one thing." Keller said when it became evident that Neal wasn't going to reply. "I didn't get everything I wanted. You see I still don't have the treasure." Neal looked at his old rival in surprise. Keller noticed and smirked. "You think I don't know?"

"Know what?" Neal had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh this is precious!" Keller was grinning from ear to ear. "It seems that your _Master_ didn't trust you enough to tell you that he had empty crates loaded in the truck."

Neal shook his head, not believing that Peter would take such a risk. But why would Keller lie? He really did looked too satisfied to be putting up an act. And Peter had said that he didn't trust him. Had made it crystal clear actually.

"If you knew about the treasure, then what was the point of this game?" Neal asked, confused.

"Oh how naïve you are, my dear boy." Keller smiled at him, "you just don't get it Neal, the point was to get to you. To take away everything you think you enjoy, your friend's trust, your chance at a normal life, everything. And now with nothing to live for, what's the point in going on with your life, right?" Keller said, smirking, and pulled out a gun.

"Now let's play a game of fate." He said aiming the gun at Neal's head. "I'll shoot you, but not to kill. Your friends are on their way here. If they don't get to you in time… then too bad. And if they do, and somehow miraculously you do survive, you get arrested and put away for life in prison." Keller pointed the gun at his chest as sirens were heard from afar.

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><p>Peter drove furiously towards the air strip, his GPS monitor highlighting it in red. The SWAT team and Marshals were following him at a distance. He hadn't wanted to wait to do things according to procedure and had let Diana handle all the official work. As soon as Diana had sent him the coordinates of the air strip, he had gotten in the car and started driving. He wanted to be the one to catch Neal, if he really was running. Besides he didn't trust the Marshals to not get tired of pursuing one Neal Caffrey all the time and deciding to get trigger- happy with him. If he could, he wanted Neal alive. He still had a few scores to settle with the man whom he had once called his friend.<p>

Reaching the air strip he noticed the plane standing nearby, ready to take off. As he pulled at the brakes and the car screeched to a halt, a single shot rang out. Peter could make out the white truck parked at a distance from his car and he watched, frozen for a minute as one of the two men collapsed to the ground and the other started to walk away. Then as if someone had shaken him back to life, he sprang into action, pulling out his gun while getting out of the car and running towards the figure walking towards the plane.

"Stop, FBI!" He called out, after getting his aim on the man, almost hoping that it was Neal and Keller was the one who had been shot. Suddenly a dozen Police cars entered the field, and agents had the whole place surrounded. Shouts of "FBI" and "Freeze!" and "Hands in the air!" rang out and the retreating figure stopped.

Keller turned around and raised his hands up, a smirk on his face. Peter rushed forward to cuff the man while shouting in his radio. "Man down! Man down! Call the EMTs!"

As he slapped the cuffs on Keller's wrists and dragged him to a waiting car, he caught sight of Neal's body, lying in a pool of blood, before the paramedics surrounded it.

As he was led away, Keller smiled as one of the paramedics surrounding Neal cried out: "Pulse fading…!"

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><p>So what say you? would love to know what you think so please REVIEW! :)<p>

Another update will be done in 3 to 4 hours. The next chapter would be the last one probably... :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay folks, I was originally going to put this up tomorrow but then... well let's just say life came in the middle.

Anyway, thank you for all your reviews. I'm aspiring to be a writer so your words of encouragement mean the world to me. :)

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><p>Peter paced in the corridor outside the ER, too tense to sit down. He had tried everything to distract himself: there were 58 tiles in the whole corridor, 128 tiny blue flower prints on the wallpaper, and 18 blue plastic chairs lining the wall; but every time he closed his eyes, the image of Neal slumped on the concrete, blood oozing from the bullet wound on his chest, forming a puddle underneath him, flashed in front of him. Peter had handed over Keller to Diana and rushed to the con man's side as soon as he could, only to find that the EMTs had already loaded him into the ambulance and were on their way to the hospital. Peter had followed in his car, but as soon as they had reached the hospital, they had rushed Neal into the ER, a nurse explaining hurriedly to him that the patient had stopped breathing on the way here, and it was extremely vital that they get the bullet out and stabilize his condition as quickly as they can.<p>

It had been almost two hours now, yet there was no word on how he was. As Peter paced across the corridor, his mind couldn't help but wonder. _What if Neal dies before he got a chance to talk to him? Before he could ask the man whom he had called partner and friend once if any of it was real. Or were all the smiles, the hugs, the words of trust and friendship; simply a facade, an act? Did none of it mean anything to him at all? All the times Peter had saved his life, all the times that he had had Peter's back, all the times he had sat at the Burke table having dinner or lunch, had he been planning this all along? Or was it the recent mistrust that had grown between both of them that had convinced the conman that he didn't belong here? Maybe Peter had been wrong. Maybe Kramer _was_ right; Neal was after all a conman at heart. There was nothing he could do that would change that fact. But he had tried dammit! He had tried his best! He had welcomed Neal into his house, into his family. And this was what Neal had repaid him with? Helped kidnap his wife and ran off with the treasure. It went against everything Peter stood for and believed in, but, even after what Neal had done, he still thought the man didn't deserve to die; he still thought he deserved a second chance. If not that then at least Peter deserved an explanation. Where had _he _gone wrong?_

"Family of Neal Caffrey?" the crisp voice brought Peter out of his mental anguish. He turned around to see a young doctor standing tiredly near the door, looking at him expectantly. He walked up to him briskly and nodded.

"Peter Burke, FBI. How is he?" he asked, trying to discern Neal's state from the doctor's expression.

"He is in a medically induced coma right now." The doctor smiled then explained seeing the confused look on Peter's face. "We got the bullet out, it had been quite close to the heart and therefore we had to perform a very delicate operation. He had undergone tremendous blood loss and we put him in a coma so that his body can heal. He'll wake up in eight to ten hours." The doctor rested his hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly before walking away.

Peter let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, and his shoulders slumped with relief. Neal was out of danger, but then he frowned. He still couldn't talk to him for another ten hours… Then he gave a smug smile. Neal was unconscious, Keller wasn't. Maybe it was time to pay the man responsible for kidnapping his wife and putting his partn-… Neal in the hospital, a visit. He ran his hand through his hair, and pulled out his phone.

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><p>He walked through the glass doors of the FBI White Collar unit, already starting to get angry, just thinking of Keller. He could see the man now, sitting in the interrogation room, looking like as if he was having the time of his life. Walking straight in, he stood and glared at the man.<p>

"Oh hello Agent Burke, so nice of you to join us." Keller sounded smug. "Your pretty assistant and I were just going over some memories, you know from that time when you were kidnapped."

Peter didn't say anything, simply letting the man speak, hoping that in his pride, he would get careless and let slip some small detail which would help Peter nail his ass even further. Peter was going to make sure that Neal didn't take the fall for all of this alone.

"What happened agent? Cat got your tongue?" Keller asked, and then grinned. "Or maybe your pet con did. Didn't expect him to be such a turn coat, did you? How is he anyway?"

"He's dead." Peter told the man, an idea forming in his head."And he didn't betray me, he betrayed you, didn't find the treasure in that truck did you?" If Keller believed Neal to be dead, then maybe he would shed some light on how they had planned the whole thing together.

Keller looked at him incredulously for a second, then to Peter's surprise; he threw his head back and laughed. "Oh you do have some balls; I'm starting to see why Neal liked you. He's dead, you say?" Keller smirked, and then looked him straight in the eye. "Well then, you should know that you're right. He didn't betray you." Peter looked at the man in surprise. What was he talking about?

But Keller wasn't done yet. "He wasn't working with me. That call I made? I knew your lady was listening." Keller grinned as he saw the look on Peter's face. "Oh you should have seen the look on Caffrey's face when he realized that you had set him up as bait without telling him that the treasure wasn't real. It was precious! He went down with tears in his eyes. Tears!", he burst out laughing again.

"You mean you set Neal up?" Peter asked, blood pounding in his ears.

"Yes, quite an ingenious plan, wasn't it?" Keller smiled up at him. "I may have been the one who pulled the trigger on Caffrey, Agent Burke, but you're the one who killed him."

Peter couldn't speak. He pivoted and walked out of the room, not trusting himself to be so close to this man. He told Diana to hand Keller over to the Marshals and went into his own office. He sat at his desk, and his eyes fell to the photo on it. It was an office photo; the whole unit was in it. Peter was sitting in the middle, with Jones on one side and Caffrey on the other with his arms slung over both their shoulders. He picked up the frame, eyes only on Neal. He remembered that Neal had begged him to be allowed to wear his fedora for the photo. Peter had snapped at him and told him he wasn't going to be included in the photo if he was going to wear that ridiculous hat. Neal had shut up after that, and had quietly took off the hat and taken his place on Peter's right hand.

Peter sighed. Keller had played on his distrust for Neal. Peter should have verified what El told him, before rushing to judgments. He had jumped to the conclusion straight away that Neal was working with Keller. Now that he came to think of it, Peter couldn't figure out how he had believed such a preposterous notion. Neal had been so crestfallen when he had found out that Keller had taken El. How could Peter think that he would do something like that?

"_You should have seen the look on Caffrey's face when he realized that you had set him up as bait… He went down with tears in his eyes. Tears!" _

Keller's voice echoed in his ears, and closed his eyes. He hadn't told him about the empty crates! He had let Neal go on without him, knowing that there was no treasure in the truck, knowing that if they didn't come in time, then Neal would probably die by Keller's hands. How could he? After telling Neal all those times that he had let him down, Peter felt like it was him who had let Neal down this time. He couldn't shake away the guilt which threatened to overwhelm him; for the first time in his life, Peter Burke was feeling disgusted with himself.

He stood up with a renewed purpose. He would be there when Neal woke up. He wouldn't let them take him away, even if he had lied about having the treasure. Neal Caffrey had almost died because of Peter Burke. Peter wasn't going to forget that anytime soon.

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><p>So what do you think? You know I'm always glad to hear from you... So please Review! :)<p>

Oh and to make up for the delay, I'll post up the next chapter, which is going to be the last, in an hour. Lots of Neal/Peter bromance coming up! Hope you enjoy! :P


	7. Chapter 7

As promised people, another quick update. :)

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><p>He sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair besides the bed, staring at his friend. The doctors had said that he was fine now, just sleeping, but the number of tubes connected to his body seemed like as if they were sucking the life out of him. He looked so pale, the black curls falling on his forehead emphasizing his lack of color. But sleeping so peacefully, he looked so young and vulnerable that Peter couldn't help but place a protective hand on his head. He gently pushed Neal's hair back surprised when Neal turned slightly in his sleep, leaning into the touch.<p>

"Pet'r?" Neal's eyes fluttered open. He tried to get up, the heart rate on the monitor increasing, but Peter gently pushed him down.

"Yea buddy, it's me." Peter soothed the young man while trying to hold him down. "Relax, I've got you."

Neal slumped back on the pillow, and closed his eyes, tired. Then they fluttered open again and he looked up at Peter, alarmed. "El…?" he couldn't continue but his eyes asked the question for him, begging Peter silently.

"El's fine, Neal. That bastard had left her gagged and bound in our basement." Peter answered, sitting back down. "She's at home, with guards for protection." Neal closed his eyes at that and turned away.

"I didn't… do it." Peter could barely make out the whispered denial. Neal turned towards him again, "I know you won't believe me… but I didn't- "

"I know you didn't Neal." Peter cut him off, taking one of his hand in both of his own. "I told him that you'd died to get him to talk and he gloated to me about how he had you set up to take the fall."

"If you knew I didn't do it… then the treasure?" Neal looked confused for a minute and then nodded and looked away.

"Neal, I should have told you…" Peter started.

"It doesn't matter." Neal cut him off, still not looking at him.

"Yes it does!" Peter couldn't help but raise his voice. He pushed the chair away and stood, running a hand through his hair. He started pacing across the room, then stopped and turned, surprised to find blue eyes staring at him intensely. "Fine, I was angry at you for not telling me about the treasure, and worried about El, but that isn't an excuse for not telling you that I had switched the treasure… I should have trusted you Neal, that's what partners are supposed to do…" Peter's voice broke; he could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"Peter, I don't blame you for not trusting me" Neal's voice sounded tired. "I should have told you about having the treasure."

"Yes you should have Neal, but everyone's allowed one big mistake." Peter smiled at the young man. He sat down and took Neal's hand in both of his again. "But you proved where your loyalties lay when you didn't run with Mozzie and chose instead to stay here."

"So that means you're not arresting me?" Neal looked at him, blue eyes surprised yet hopeful.

"No kiddo, I'm not." Peter leaned in and ruffled his friend's hair. "Keller is in prison on charges of kidnapping and attempted murder, and tonight the whole world would be pleasantly surprised to know that the FBI located the long lost Nazi treasure when they called in an anonymous tip." Peter grinned when the con man smiled. Neal suddenly grew serious.

"But will you forgive me?" he looked at his mentor. Peter looked down at his hands.

"Neal, these past days have made me realize that I'm not much of a saint myself. I had always been behind you for not trusting me and keeping things from me, but lately I haven't been practicing what I so diligently preach." Peter held up a hand to stop Neal from interrupting. "The fact is that I have always expected too much from you, first by giving you hell for trying to find Kate, then by not trusting you even after all that Adler put both of us through. I guess I have never been much of a friend." Peter didn't know where the words were coming from. He usually was very bad at all this, but after Neal's most recent brush with death, he was starting to feel that it was way past time that he had a long talk with the man. To tell him what he meant to Peter, to tell him how he didn't mean to push him so hard, that he only wanted what was best for Neal. Maybe it was the effect of the hospital, or maybe it was Neal's fragile state, Peter felt an overwhelming affection towards the young ex con.

"Peter, I really am sorry about not telling you about the treasure." Neal said softly, blue eyes sparkling with tears. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, for the first time in my life, I'd actually felt like as if I belonged. I would prefer to go back to prison if you can't trust me." Tears were coursing down his cheeks now.

Peter leaned forwards and brushed them off with the back of his hand. "Neal, you're not going to prison. Not till I'm alive anyway", Peter smiled at the ex con. "And about the matter of trust, both of us will work on that from now onwards OK?"

Neal nodded, and then smirked. "You know you have quite decent bedside manner. I am pleasantly surprised." Peter glared at his friend, pretending to be hurt.

"The things you don't know about me could be made into a long list."

"Hmm… you make the list, I'm going to sleep. Tired…" Neal said, closing his eyes. Peter smiled and got up from the bed. Neal must have sensed the movement because his eyes flew open. "Pet'r?"

"Yea I'm right here, Buddy." Peter said, sitting in the chair.

"Oh, good… Don't go…" Neal seemed to relax and closed his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, son. Not without you anyway." Peter said softly, pulling the blanket up to Neal's chin and tucking him in.

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><p><strong>Three months later: White Collar Unit, FBI, New York.<strong>

Peter stood at the head of the table, around which the whole FBI unit was seated "Alright agents, lets solve this case right here, right now. We know that Mr. Anderson couldn't have left his multimillion dollar business to his brother…"

"Because of the known dispute that was ongoing between them when he died." Neal interrupted him.

Peter looked at him and nodded. "Yes, but Mr. Anderson's brother, Reed Anderson, does not have the motive…"

"As he is terminally ill with cancer." Neal completed for Peter. He started pacing. "He has also recently married…"

"This young woman who has suddenly started showing undue attention to a very old man." This time Peter cut him off, watching the young man walk.

"And Reed is completely smitten with her and will probably leave her everything once he has died", Neal agreed.

"So you think.."

"If it means that she'll inherit millions then yes…"

"Also Mrs. Anderson's brother…"

"Was suspected of forging those bonds…"

"And is therefore a good forger…"

"So we have our culprits?" Neal asked.

"Yup, good work people. Case closed." Peter nodded at everyone before looking at his CI. "Neal, c'mon there's this museum where they are hosting this weird display of…"

All the agents sitting at the table stared as Mr. Caffrey flipped his hat on his head and held open the door to Agent Burke who walked out, shaking his head before following him. This was the fifteenth time a case had been closed by Mr. Caffrey and Agent Burke. Alone.

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><p>Author's Note: So this is it. The End. It really was amazing writing this story, especially with all the encouragement and praise of those who reviewed.:)<p>

Please tell me what you think? I really love to find out what people like or dislike about my writing... So please take out some time and review, I will be eternally grateful :)


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